Using Social Stories with Three Taiwanese Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder
摘要
This study explored the cross-cultural applicability of Social Stories® as a behavioral intervention for three young Taiwanese boys diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability. Each child exhibited the same areas of concern; yelling at teachers, which interfered with classroom instruction. Using a multiple baseline design, individualized Social Stories were created in Mandarin Chinese (the official language), incorporating cultural and linguistic considerations relevant to Taiwan’s bilingual environment (in southern Taiwan, Taiwanese is spoken at home). Teachers received training and implemented the interventions during recess and morning sessions, with fidelity and interobserver agreement (IOA) exceeding 88% across all participants. Results demonstrated a marked reduction in yelling behaviors and an increase in prosocial classroom interactions for all three children. The study also revealed that linguistic nuances, such as the distinction between Mandarin and Taiwanese, influenced children’s comprehension and response to the stories. Although limitations existed—most notably, one participant receiving two concurrent interventions—the findings suggest that Social Stories can be effectively tailored for non-Western, bilingual contexts. These results contribute to the literature on culturally adaptable ASD interventions and underscore the importance of teacher involvement, individualized content, and linguistic relevance. The study highlights the potential for Social Stories to improve behavioral outcomes in diverse educational settings and encourages further research on generalization and long-term maintenance across cultures.